Sweaty Palms
by iheartcsi
Summary: A huge case pulls everyone from the graveyard shift and summaries aren't my strong suit
1. chapter 1

  
Here goes an attempt at a ship-free story! (there may end up being the _slightest_ hint of G/S, but it won't be intentional). I was getting an itch for some real CSI stuff, and decided to try my hand at it. I hope you all enjoy! and don't forget to hit that review button and tell me what you think!!!  
Oh, and CSI, well it doesn't belong to me.....no matter how much I wish it did.  
  
  
  
The students of Centennial High were assembled in the gym. Most were sporting the school colors, silver and blue, not only in their clothes, but on their faces and in their hair. It was homecoming and everyone was celebrating at the pep rally. Well, almost everyone.....  
  
A lone student sat, hidden, scoping out the scene. He held the machine gun in his sweaty palms, waiting for the perfect moment. His target was in sight, he was going to implement his plan flawlessly. As the cheerleaders started their dance routine, he gulped, and began.  
  
  
The gym erupted into mass chaos. Bullets seemed to be coming from nowhere and everyone was trying to escape. Some were falling to the floor, the wounded along with the non wounded. Others, still, were running, or attempting to do so. Some of the teachers were trying to calm people, telling them what to do, while others were as scared and uncontrolled as the students. In the mass hysteria, no one saw the boy with the gun emerge and join the rest of the school in panic.  
  
  
  
Oh God. The words came from Sara, but the other CSI's felt the same. Since this case was so big and Ecklie's team was tied up, it had been assigned to the entire night shift. None of the team was entirely happy to be called out of bed, but after seeing the scene, they all became focused on finding the perp(s).  
  
Well, guys, it doesn't look pretty. So far we've counted 14 dead. There are 33 minor injuries. We do have one teacher in very serious condition, they don't know if she is going to make it. Brass informed the crew. He had a solemn expression on his face; a rare sight.  
  
Grissom felt the case weighing on his heart the way he could see it doing to his CSI's, but knew time was ticking. Come on guys, lets get to work. With that, they went their separate ways, hoping to catch the guy.  
  
Hey Cath, is that what I think it is? Sara asked, glancing at something stuck under the bleachers.  
I think it is, Sara!  
Everyone out!!! vacate the building NOW!! Sara and Catherine screamed.  
  
The women meant well, but elicited a bit more of a panic than they'd expected. Grissom, Warrick, Nick, and Brass all ran towards them, while the other police officers escorted everyone out of the building.  
We need to get some bomb specialists out here, now, Sara said, because this looks like a bomb to me!  
I'll call them, but we have to get out of here, if this is a bomb, it could blow anytime. Grissom ordered as he ushered his team out the door of the gymnasium.  
  
As she turned to look back, Sara was the only one to see the beginnings of the explosion. Her cry to get down wasn't very effective, for the explosion propelled them all forward before she could get the words out.  
  
TBC....  



	2. chapter 2

Thanks for all the reviews!! They really make my day! I am going to try my best to update this as frequently as possible, but I am muy busy, so bear with me please! And once again, they don't belong to me!  
  
  
Brass had been the farthest from the explosion, Sara the closest. All six of them were on the ground.  
Nick was the first to speak, Hey, is everyone ok? At that, the others moaned, getting up and trying to assess the damage. They quickly noticed that Sara was still lying on the ground. Grissom, being the closest to her, touched her back.  
Sara, hon, are you ok? There was panic in his voice.  
she turned over slowly. Yeah, I just got the wind knocked out of me. The ground isn't exactly soft.  
Grissom breathed a sigh of relief and helped Sara to her feet. She stumbled a little, but on the whole was steady. The team was then accosted by the paramedics still there and ushered out of the school.  
  
  
The gang was being cleared by the medics while the bomb experts checked the building for more bombs. Everyone was told they could get back to work, except Sara.   
Look miss, I really think that you need to go to the hospital for observation, you took a pretty hard blow.  
Look, what's your name? She glanced at his name tag. Jason, I am fine! I am NOT going to the hospital! I have a job to do!  
Hearing the commotion, Nick and Grissom walked over to Sara. While still maintaining an air of seriousness, they both had to snicker. That paramedic didn't know who he was dealing with.  
Sara, why don't you listen to him? You should go get checked out, Nick pleaded.  
With a frown on her face, she said Look guys, I refuse to go to the hospital. Give me the damn AMA and I can get back to working this case.  
Knowing they would never convince her, they gave up.  
  
  
  
Thankfully, all the bodies had been removed and some of the evidence analyzed before the bomb exploded. With the building cleared by the bomb squad, the CSI's were back to work. Nick and Warrick were trying to salvage and sort through the evidence, while Catherine and Grissom started looking for the gun. Sara and Brass were interviewing the hundreds of witnesses.  
  
Catherine had found the gun. Hey, Gris! I got it!  
Grissom walked over to her, pleased. Great. Take it to the lab and see what you can get off of it. Take Nick or Warrick and have them bring the bullet casings they found to be matched. I'll keep looking to make sure there isn't another gun somewhere.  
Cath bagged the gun, took of her gloves, grabbed Warrick, and headed for HQ. She was silently praying for something unique to show up on the gun, desperate for answers.  
  
Hey Brass? Sara was on to something. Have you noticed how everyone has said that there was one initial shot and then a few moments before the shooting rampage started?  
It was as if a light bulb went off over Brass' head as he nodded.  
Well, that means there was a specific target. If we can find out who it was, then we are that much closer to solving this case.  
Now that you mention it, a couple of the teachers told me that a teacher was the first to go down. Uh, Cate Fallon, no..Cate Farrell. The one they rushed off in critical condition.  
A teacher? Man. Well, she could be the one. With that, she rushed off and got into the Tahoe. She was going to the hospital, after all.  
  
TBC.....  
  
a/n: I know that these chapters are short, but I have the hardest time making them longer (and I do know that I must be a hypocrite when I tell other people to make their chapters longer!) But what can I say?? I'll keep trying to lengthen them!! Ok, now tell me what you think!


	3. chapter 3

OK, here's the latest. Sorry it has been a few days, but I have been busy. So, this one is a little longer and has more of the science we all love! Hope you enjoy! Let me know what you think.  
  
Damn, there are no useable prints on this gun. Catherine muttered to Warrick, But Greg did get some sweat from it. He is checking to see if there is any salvageable DNA in it.  
Warrick groaned. If there is, you know what kind of headache that is going to be?? Did you _notice_ how many suspects there were?  
With that, Catherine's beeper went off. It read Thank you Ms. Franklin. Greg was a nut.  
  
  
  
Sara walked up to the nurses station in ICU at Desert Palms Hospital. Hi. My name is Sara Sidle. I'm a Criminalist with the LVPD. I need to know what room Cate Farrell is in and if I can see her.  
The nurse was silent, she just typed on her computer. After a few moments, Sara started to wonder if she had paid her any attention.  
Yes, well she's in room 725. I'm not sure if she is awake, but you can go check if you'd like.  
Sara hated people like that. The woman hadn't even looked at her. Seeing the room she was looking for, she pushed her frustration aside and knocked on the door.  
  
  
Hey Greggo. I believe you paged me....something about Ms. Franklin? I'm not sure if I should even ask. Catherine said as she walked into the lab with Warrick.  
Oh, that. Well, everyone credits the discovery of the structure of DNA to Watson and Crick, but in actuality, with out Rosalind Franklin, who did X-ray crystallography, they'd have never figured it out. He had a huge grin on his face.  
So, I guess that means you found DNA. Catherine was also smiling, Greg never ceased to amaze her with the trivia he knew.  
Yep. AN X and a Y. Now just get me someone to compare it to.  
  
Warrick and Catherine hopped in a Tahoe with boxes and boxes of swabs, and headed for the school. They had their work cut out for them.  
Well, at least we only have to get samples from the males, Catherine said, in an attempt to lift the scowl from Warrick's face.  
Man! That's still a whole lot of people! This is going to take forever!! Catherine knew he was just mad because he often had to do the tedious things that took a long time.  
  
  
Come in. Sara heard a male voice say.  
Hi. I'm Sara Sidle, a forensic scientist.  
I'm Connor Farrell, Cate's husband. He looked devastated. They said she was doing pretty well, but she hasn't woken up yet. Sara was afraid he was going to cry, she wasn't sure how to approach him.  
Mister Farrell,  
Call me Connor, please.  
Connor, we have reason to believe that Cate may have been the target in this. Do you know if there is anyone who'd want to hurt her? She was being as gentle as she knew how to be.  
Absolutely not. Everyone loves Cate. She was teacher if the year last year. He co workers and students adore her. I just don't understand.  
There was a knock on the door and a young woman walked in with two little girls. I thought maybe Lilah and Riley might get her to wake up, She said. She hadn't noticed Sara before this, and when she did, she shied away. Oh! I'm sorry, I'll come back in a second. Before Sara could say anything, she was gone.  
My sister. Those are our girls, our twins. God, I don't know what we'll do if we lose her. He started to cry.  
Not knowing what to do, Sara just said, Don't worry, we are going to find out who did this to her.  
  
  
Back at the school, Catherine, Warrick, Grissom, and Nick had finally finished getting DNA samples from all the males. They were finishing packing up all of the swabs to take to Greg When Sara pulled up.  
Well, I talked to Cate's husband. He said there was no way anyone would want to harm her, but I think we need to talk to some of the teachers who knew her well, check out any reports that may have been filed, and search her room. Maybe we can find some answers.  
  
Grissom and Catherine stayed with Sara to check those venues, while Warrick and Nick took the samples back to Greg to be analyzed. Even though they had been at it for the day shift and some of their shift, none of them could stop now.  
  
TBC.....


	4. chapter 4

OK, interest has seemed to fizzle on this story, but here's the end, nonetheless. Hope you enjoy it. Oh, and if you are actually reading this, please review and let me know!  
  
  
  
Sara picked the classroom, Grissom took the office, and Catherine, the people person, went to interview the teachers and administrators. She was the best choice, seeing they had all been there for a _long_ time.  
  
Back at HQ, Warrick and Nick had delivered the samples to their favorite lab tech, Greg.  
  
Are you guys _kidding _me??? He said astonished. This could take all week! He could not believe that they were asking him to test hundreds of DNA. He was good, but he didn't know if he was _that_ good.  
Come on, Greggo, Nick pleaded, War and I will help you...it's gotta be done, man.  
The three scientists dug into their work, hoping to get lucky.  
  
  
Sara said to herself. She had hit pay dirt. Grabbing the evidence, she ran to find Grissom.  
  
Hey Sara, what've you got?  
Read this Grissom, looks like something we should look into. She said, putting the paper in his hand.  
After carefully reading the note, Grissom took off his glasses and raised an eyebrow. Sara loved it when he did that, Well, Sara, lets go find this kid, question him. They walked out of the office and out into the courtyard where Catherine had been questioning people.  
  
Hey guys, you look like you are on a mission.  
We are, Cath. Sara has found some useful information. Do you happen to know where we can find a Silas Fox?  
Well, Gris, the name sounds vaguely familiar, but I really don't know. Just ask around, I guess.  
Sara grabbed her cell phone. Grissom looked at her, confused, as he started towards a group of students.  
Yeah, Greg, can you do me a favor? Yes, I know you are up to your ears, but this _could_ get you there quicker. Yes. Find the sample for Silas Fox and test run it. Thanks. Call me if you get a hit. Bye. She strolled over to where Grissom was standing. Not pleased with the results he was getting, she took it into her own hands.  
she yelled. Everyone got quiet, stunned that so much noise could come out of such a little person. I NEED SILAS FOX, RIGHT NOW. IF THAT IS YOU, OR YOU KNOW WHERE HE IS, SEND HIM IN OUR DIRECTION. THANK YOU.  
Grissom stared at her, stunned. That woman had guts. They had just noticed a young man slumping towards them, when Sara's cell rang.  
  
Sara, I _love_ you!  
Greg, I'm flattered, but I'm kinda busy, got anything on the case? She teased.  
Ha. Ha. Actually, we got a match on your Silas guy.  
Nice, we'll bring him in.  
  
Grissom and Sara got Silas, told Catherine the news, and left for HQ. On their way, they contacted Brass to assist in questioning.  
  
In the questioning room were Sara, Grissom, Brass and Silas. The boy looked like he was about fifteen and seemed terrified.  
So Silas, what's this note all about? Brass inquired.  
Well, I wrote that about a month ago. I had to tell Cate that I loved her.  
The other occupants of the room were taken aback at the boy calling his teacher by her first name.  
You gave this letter to Mrs. Farrell? again from Brass.  
Yes. She shot me down. He was on the verge of tears.  
Sara was the next to speak. You know what, Silas, I know what it is like to get shot down by someone you love. She glanced at Grissom, who had a look of hurt in his eyes. It hurts, I know. But why would you try to kill her? Someone you say you love? And the others? Make me understand, Silas.  
Grissom stared at Sara. He'd never seen her like that. He was curious to see what she was going to do next. Unfortunately, his cell rang and he was forced to leave the room.  
As Grissom walked out, Silas started sobbing. I...I..thought that if she wouldn't love me, she wouldn't love anyone.  
But what about the others, Silas? Sara had a concern in her voice that she never had for the perps.  
I don't know. I just, well I don't know. But after I shot her, I was so scared. I knew then that I didn't really want her to die. If she dies, I want to die, too.  
Grissom walked in just in case to hear the last bit of what the crying boy said. Well, son. you don't have to worry about it. That was the hospital. She woke up and is going to be just fine.  
Brass read the Silas his rights and took him away. Grissom stayed behind to talk to Sara, who, as usual, looked upset.  
It's just sad, Gris. All those kids died. And that teacher, her whole life has been turned upside down. And I just keep thinking how sad it is that this smart kid, who just wanted some love, has ruined his life. How do you not let the cases get to you? Gil, I really need some tips. I feel like I'm slipping.  
They do get to me, Sara. More than I let on. But I just try to distance myself and I use those diversions I told you about.  
Roller coasters, huh? Well, it's worth a shot. Sara walked out, heading for her car with plans to go by New York, New York and ride it's infamous coaster. She was stopped by a hand on her shoulder. It belonged to Grissom.  
Hey, would you like me to go with you?  
Thanks, Gris, but I think I need to do this on my own.  
  
end.  
A/N--Sorry about the slight G/S at the end...I couldn't help it.


End file.
